title: [Age related changes in the liver. Consequences for drug therapy].
abstract: The most significant morphological peculiarity of the liver in old age is "brown atrophy", with a reduction in weight and volume of the organ. The physiological metabolic functions of the liver are extremely well preserved right up into very old age. There is, however, some impairment of function with respect to the elimination of exogenous substances and drugs. The major cause of this is a decrease in hepatic perfusion, the volume of the liver, and the number of functioning hepatocytes. Thus, since the elimination capacity of both the kidneys and the liver can be reduced in old age, drugs should initially be administered at lower doses in geriatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin-Gerontologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeeh
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Platt
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D010599:Pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
vernacular_title: Alternsveränderungen der Leber. Konsequenzen für die Arzneimitteltherapie.